How do you memorise pupils' names?

[booklooker]

We are back to school (overseas) and once again I will have to memorise the names of 60+ students. I am not complaining about this, I just seem to be crap at it, and am getting worse with each passing bottle of gin year.

Does anyone have any strategies that work for them?

[Olivo]

I can only do it with a seating plan, if they move places,I'm Stitched! I give myself a test every lesson for the first few weeks, they seem to like that!

[Minispringroll]

I usually manage to get photos before the summer holidays and then practise every so often. Freaks them out when I know their names on the first day back.

[rollonthesummer]

I don't really have a knack, it just sort of happens! I only ever have 30 at a time though-the children with Additional needs are generally already known as are any siblings and new cnildren. I nearly always have them all cracked by the end of the first day though!

When I line them up individually for lunch/play/phonics/assembly/home for the first day or two, I tell them it's a test for me to see how many names I have learnt and let them line up only when I've said their name!

[Acopyofacopy]

Approx. 200 new names for me very soon, gulp! Seating plans all the way, I am rubbish at learning names and will usually get there for the end of the year. Same as above, if they're out of their seats I'm stuffed!

[booklooker]

I too use a seating plan, but I find I remember the positions of the students, rather than the students themselves. So I am buggered once they change their seating.

My heart goes out to those teachers who only teach their subgect once or twice a week, and consequently have hundreds of names to remember.

[GinandJag]

I make a point of handing their books back to them after marking for the first couple of weeks. I know that I will learn everyone's names in that time frame.

I also overdo the merits, so I get to look at their names as I put them in their planner.

For me, it is personal contact that works, not looking at seating plans or photos.

[noblegiraffe]

I'll have 150-odd. Alphabetical seating plan for each class (double check this doesn't put someone with hearing problems at the back etc). This is out on my desk every lesson and I make a point of using student names when directing questions, picking on everyone.
Then when I think I know them according to position, I change the seating plan and start again.
There's always the loud ones you know by the end of the first lesson, and the quiet group who need practising.

[MatchsticksForMyEyes]

When I ask a question I throw a soft toy to the person I want to answer, get them to say their name, then repeat it a couple of times to myself. I also use seating plans.

[LunaLambBhuna]

I'm fairly good at names but a colleague of mine has the kids stick a recent photo of themselves on the front of their exercise book. Seems to help as she marks books and visualises the child.

[SideEye]

Print out photos from sims. Fold the name underneath. Put photos in front of me on a table and test myself.
Annoyingly the kids often look different from their photo, scuppering the whole exercise

[Rosieposy4]

I've about 350 different kids this year ( cuts are starting to bite, sixth form classes up considerably and whole extra treaching group each in main school)
I know about half of them from previous years, may be slightly more, the rest i will learn ( slowly) by a combination of printed photos of sims, and targeted questionning with the seating plan in my hand.

[Rosieposy4]

Off sims!

[cricketballs]

I teach KS3 1 lesson per week and will admit that even by July I can only positively say 50% of names- I'm really crap at it (despite planner having photos stuck in, seating plans etc)

[booklooker]

So how many names do you have to learn (or not) each year cricketballs?

[Heirhelp]

I normally teach over 400 kids a year. Some students I will know from the previous year others I have not taught or have and can't remember. With the year 7 I make it into a game. I say this lesson I have going to remember the names of all the people on this table, I get them to tell me there names and then every 10 minutes or so they test me. I might do one table a lesson, always doing all the other tables I have learnt so far and the new names or I might do several tables.

Last academic year I was pregnant and have to admit I was tired and struggled so I mostly taught wi path my seat plan in my hand.

[Iggi999]

I have about 400 (and I only work part time!) I am rubbish at it. Especially if they don't sit in the exact seating plan I arranged!

[BizzyFizzy]

I need to look them in the eye so find physically handing back book useful.

[cricketballs]

book; thankfully last year I only had 8 KS3 classes so 240 I saw once a week; I've always been really bad with names so the less KS3 classes I have the better plus prefer teaching KS4 & 5

[goldopals]

I haven't needed to memorize a whole class of names in years. I teach at a very small school and have taught my year 10s, 11s and 12s for the last four and a half years. I get to know the kids in the yard so when they're in my class for the first time there are no issues with names

I'm going to have a lot of problems when I eventually move on

[purpleapple1234]

Seating plan. Hold it in my hand every lesson for two weeks and try to ask every student a question and say their name on asking the question and then when thanking them for answering the question. My personal best is in learning every students' name in one lesson. My worst is still not knowing every kids name at the end of the year.

[MargotsDevil]

One year I had over 350 students (lots of shared classes due to part time members of staff as well as 4 junior classes once per week).

Seating plans are my friend

[leccybill]

Seating plans haven't been out of my hand since September 1st. I'm getting there. Maybe know half of my 240.